John Ferguson
Director, ecoideaM Ltd
Director of Strategy, Binn Eco Industrial Park, Tayside
John Ferguson works for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency but is currently on sabbatical developing an Eco Industrial Park concept in Taysdie, Scotland. Formerly manager of the Waste and Resources Strategy Unit. He has played a significant role in the development of the National Waste Strategy Scotland.
A graduate of the University of St. Andrews he first became involved in waste management in 1990 working as a Recycling Officer in Perth. Prior to this he worked in the offshore oil industry as a drilling fluids engineer. Through his work with Perthshire he developed a growing interest in the management of wastes as a resource. He passionately believes that the emphasis requires a fundamental change from waste management to resource management, and that this would serve the twin purpose of environmental protection and economic efficiency. This would resolve much of the perceived conflict between the needs of the environment and the need for economic growth. In the future progressive economies will be those that are resource efficient
John's current areas of interest in SEPA are in the role of thermal treatment as part of an integrated network of technologies to maximise the recovery of value from waste and the development of the environmental technology sector. He strongly believes that it is only by partnership working and bringing together all interested parties that the difficult and complex problems faced in bringing Scotland's waste industry into the 21st Century can be overcome.
